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232 RIESBECK’S TRAVELS THROUGH GERMANY.
auhtor, and the lefler princes who have any fhame left are compelled to ftand in fear of
the flrong cenfor who publicly expofes their fhame. Mr. Schloffer makes ufe of all the
freedom which the place of his refidence allows him; and he often gives very interelt-
ing accounts of other countries ee Germany in his journal. The reputation of the
work encreafes every day more and more, and he may be aflured that he will foon be
univerfaily read in his native country. In my opinion, a fingle number of this work has
more merit than all Linguet’s Annals put together, at leaft it contains more truth. ‘This
journal marks the learned character of the Germans extremely well. In the German
hiftorians and pga there appears no marks of the acute obfervation, the piercing
conje@ture, and the elegant portraitures of men and manners, which diftinguifh the
Englifh hiftorians and politicians. Every thing with them is made up of dry matter of
fact, which they endeavour to eftablifh fo as to fet it above the power-of attack. ‘The
genuine lover of truth, who loves it for itfelf, and does not defire a particle of wit to be
{pent in its fupport, had rather read adry lift of population in Schlofler’s letters, than
all the pompous declamations of the Englifh travellers and politicians, who are often
brought to fhame by a few cyphers they read in this book. In every part of literature
the Germans diftinguifh themfelves from other nations in the fame way.
Gottingen is a pretty little city, containing about eighty thoufand fouls; the terri-
tory about it is pleafanter, and produces more than that of any other part of Hanover
I have feen. It fubfifts entirely by the univerfity, which is one of the beft I have feen.
There are Rufan, Danifh, Swedifh, and Englifh*, as well as German ftudents in it.
‘The ftudents here are about eight hundred, and the profeflers, including the dancing
and fencing matters, are about fixty.
‘The King of Great Britain fparés no expence to bring thefe higher fort of fchools
into repute. The library, which is kept up at his expence, and is always encreafing,
is as humerous as it is well difpofed. ‘The phyfical apparatus, aftronomical inftruments,
the colleGlion of natural hiftory, the chirurgical in{truments, the botanical garden,
every thing, in a word, befpeaks royal care.
‘The way, in the Proteftant univerfities, of going through all the fciences in half-yearly
-courfes, which difpleafed Mr. Pilati fo much, has my full approbation. Though it may
be calculated for the advantage of the pockets of the profeflors, the fcholars lofe nothing
byit. No fciences are thoroughly learned at any univerfity. All that can be done, and
that is done, is to give the {tudent the elements of them, to let him have a notion of
the parts of the building, and fhew him the eafieft way of coming at it. It depends
upon him afterwards to travel the whole of the road. If the young man lays his founda-
tion right, the half-year’s courfe is as profitable to him as it is to the mafter. It fpares
his time and money. Whena young man comes here, they commonly lay a Programma
before him, in which all the arts are difpofed according to their natural order, and like-
wile according to their connection with each other. In confequence of this it happens
not unfrequently, that a ftudent attends fix or feven courfes in a day. What then?
you will tell me he will only be confined by the variety of knowledge. I believe not.
The generality of young men will not be at the pains of digging deep for themlelves.
Lectures make a deeper impreffion on the mind than the filent meditation of a clofet.
We mutt likewife confider that the profeffors are able to give the marrow and refult of
the whole.
* The Englifh have, I am informed, been lately almoft banifhed; at leaft the profeffors do not defire
the company of young meu {fo totally Toft to what ought to be the glory of young men, as they for the
molt part are.
Ido
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